Family says Brockton dirt-bike crash victim died following his passion

Sunday

Jun 15, 2014 at 6:00 AMJun 16, 2014 at 3:23 PM

A 35-year-old Brockton man died in an accident Friday morning while riding a motorcycle

BROCKTON – Stephen Ramos Jr. rode dirt bikes, motorcycles and four wheelers for 30 years. It was a passion that, along with his wife and two children, defined his life.

On Friday, Ramos died doing what he loved.

Ramos, 35, was riding a dirt bike at 3 a.m. when he struck an SUV at the intersection of Perkins Avenue and South Leyden Street. By the time his father, Stephen Ramos, Sr., arrived at the hospital, his son was already dead.

“As a father, you always worry about your children,” Ramos, Sr., 62, said. “But truthfully, he was a great rider. He did it because he loved it. He felt like a free spirit on a bike.”

Ramos was a lifelong Brockton resident who got his first electric bike at 4-years-old. He upgraded to a 60cc quad four wheeler at age 6 and never looked back. As a child, he spent many hours riding dirt paths near his home on Taber Avenue, his father said.

Ramos went to Brockton High School, but did not graduate, and met his wife at age 17. He later worked construction and they raised two children together, 13-year-old Stephen and 9-year-old Diamond.

“He was a good father,” his wife, Jacquelyn Ramos, said. “He loved his kids.”

Ramos was at a late-night family bonfire in the yard next to his Curve Avenue home the morning he died. During the party, one of his relatives showed Ramos a photograph of his old garage, filled with bikes.

The picture must have inspired him to ride past his former home, Ramos Sr. said, because his son hopped on his motorcycle and started making the short trip. His son and nephew trailed behind on their bikes.

Ramos’s father said he believes his son was riding too fast and that when he looked to see if anyone was coming across the street, his view must been partially blocked. Ramos pushed through the intersection and “within seconds the car was there,” Ramos Sr. said.

Manny Rodriguez, who witnessed the accident, said he heard the sound of a motorcycle coming down the street past his home and seconds later a loud bang.

“I went out and I saw the dirt bike under the car,” Rodriguez, 60, said.

He called 911 as he frantically looked around for someone who might have been injured in the crash. Rodriguez said the woman who had been driving the SUV was visibly shaken.

Ramos appeared to have flown 25 to 30 feet from the site of the impact to a lawn on the other side of a fence, Rodriguez said.

Geraldine Ramos, his mother, said Ramos had just eaten a steak and was talking with her and Jacquelyn in the minutes before leaving the party. She described her son as a kind person, beloved by his family and a friend of everyone in the neighborhood.

“He’s a real person,” Geraldine Ramos said. “Nothing fake at all about him.”

Jacquelyn Ramos said her husband dropped his kids off at school and picked them up every day. He helped them with their homework, and was teaching both his son and daughter how to ride quads and bikes.

Ramos did not frequent clubs or bars and did not use drugs, she said.

Instead, his wife said, Ramos spent time with his family, took care of his SUV and rode his bikes.

“He was awesome on a bike,” Jacquelyn Ramos said. “He just took that ride down the street and never came back.”

Staff writer Benjamin Paulin contributed to this report. Joseph Markman may be reached at jmarkman@enterprisenews.com.